“Healthcare is one of the largest industries in Rhode Island,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. “This initiative will strengthen our workforce by providing pathways to good jobs for residents. This partnership will help us continue to provide economic opportunities for residents throughout our city.”

Real Jobs RI is a demand-driven, workforce and economic development initiative that convenes industry employers, key stakeholders and groups in allied partnerships to address business workforce demands. It is designed to ensure that Rhode Island employers have the talent they need to compete and grow while providing targeted education and skills training for Rhode Island workers.

“Real Jobs RI is showing that we can invest in workers and employers at the same time — because competitive companies employing workers who are on a solid pathway to middle-class wages are the keystones of a strong and resilient economy,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “With 81,000 workers and some of Rhode Island’s largest employers, healthcare is a critical component of our economy. I’m proud to partner with Mayor Elorza to help healthcare employers get the talent they need to grow and compete.”

The Healthcare and Social Assistance industry is one of the largest employment sectors in the State and is the largest employer within the City of Providence. The sector has been affected by a documented labor shortage as well as a growing mismatch between workforce preparedness and the changing skills that will be required as the healthcare sector adapts to changing demographics and service delivery. Healthcare employers from across Rhode Island have underscored a large number of open positions for many occupations, including medical assistants, direct support professionals, and pharmacy technicians.

“Real Jobs RI helps employers train the right workers for the right jobs at the right time and the PVD HealthWorks partnership has all of the workforce development pieces in place to do just that for the healthcare sector of our capital city,” said DLT Director Scott Jensen. “Governor Raimondo and I are excited to work alongside Mayor Elorza and the employers of Rhode Island’s biggest sector to strategically connect partners around shared needs and match skilled healthcare and social assistance professionals with employers looking for top talent.”

There are additional challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified candidates, especially diverse, bi-cultural and bi-lingual. The City has convened a collaboration of eight employer partners and eight community partners to develop the infrastructure necessary to understand the workforce needs of the employers and create strategic pipelines to generate a supply of highly qualified candidates for high demand positions.

PVD HealthWorks will strategically connect partners around shared needs and actively foster system solutions. It will create a unified intake and assessment process and toolbox for job seekers and will realize the hiring of a dedicated specialist with expertise in healthcare industries to partner with employers and training providers to increase participant recruitment and job placement. An online pre-registration portal will also be launched to allow job seekers to pre-register for job fairs, providing employers the ability to pre-screen applicants and identify potential employees more efficiently.

“We are eager to support workforce development in the City of Providence by collaborating to create a training pipeline for health care providers driven by industry demand,” said Jody Jencks, director of workforce development for Care New England. “We understand the need for a demand-driven, employer-led system that elevates the skills of the workforce while adapting to employer needs.”

Insight from training partners and a survey of medical assistant training programs in the state and near the Massachusetts border also revealed that that there is a wide variance in the skills and knowledge taught by different programs, resulting in candidates lacking key competencies for open positions. Employers are seeking a greater level of consistency and quality through this initiative.

“This is the type of program we have been waiting for! PVD Healthworks is one more step in the right direction for workforce development,” said Shannon Carroll, Genesis Center President and Chief Executive Officer. “We need a coordinated system to create clear career pathways and opportunities for our residents. As a Real Pathways provider, we are now able to purposely and effectively link our existing healthcare training programs to higher level trainings that will allow our learners to progress on their career paths and access higher wage jobs while also providing employers with the candidates they need. I am confident PVD Healthworks will help accomplish this and make Rhode Island stronger.”

The partnership will match qualified professionals with employers facing workforce hiring challenges. The first phase of the program funds three cohorts of Direct Support and one cohort of Medical Assistant training for a total of 65 newly trained healthcare workers. Curricula for these training programs will align with employer defined needs and the partnership will invest in the development of additional training modules to address common skill gaps.

My name is Adry Mijares, and I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. When I graduated from high school, I enrolled at Venezuela Central University where I obtained Bachelor Degrees in Biology and Education. I used to leave my house to go to university around 4:30 am and I arrived at home around 8:00 at night. Then, I had to study do my homework and get ready for my next day's class. It was very difficult for me and a lot of effort to achieve my goals, but it was worth all of the hard work.

I worked at a lab as a microbiologist for a year, and then I moved on to another job closer to my house with better pay. Meanwhile, I met Pablo Mijares on one of his trips to visit his family. Our friendship became a romantic relationship; years later, he proposed to me, and I immediately said yes. But there was an issue; he lived in the USA, and I lived in Venezuela. At first, I didn't want to come to the USA because I didn’t want to leave my family behind. But then, love was stronger, so I came to the USA and we got married.

Rhode Island was very different, in everything from the language to the weather. I wanted to be productive in this country, but the language barrier was an obstacle. I found Genesis Center, which opened their doors to me, and I enrolled in ESOL classes. My teachers, Bonnie Taylor and Sheryl Buchanan, made me feel very comfortable. Classes were hard, but I learned a lot. I felt more confident because I was fluent in speaking, writing and listening in English, which motivated me to think about getting a job.

I noticed that Genesis Center was offering a Medical Assistant Training Course. When I first applied, I was not accepted because I was not very well prepared for the interview. I continued studying to better myself, and when I applied a second time, I was accepted. My teacher, Gienia Kocur, did a fantastic job teaching us the entire spectrum of skills to be an efficient and productive Medical Assistant. Workforce Coordinator Liz Hanke was also very influential in job preparation, guiding us in how, where and when to look for a job. Gienia, Liz and Cindy Alvarado helped me to get an internship at Roger Williams Medical Associates, a CharterCARE group in East Providence, where I did all of my internship hours in a month.

When I completed the program, I got a job interview at St. Joseph’s Health Center in Providence; days later, they hired me, and I am still working there as a Medical Assistant. The interviewer told me that my internship supervisor had fantastic things to say about my job performance, and that I came highly recommended. I am very grateful for the support of the staff and teachers at Genesis Center. Genesis Center changed my life because once again, I can feel productive and help to better the lives of others.

Sheryl Buchanan, adult learning facilitator and evening coordinator at Genesis Center, was recently named the 2016 Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year by the Rhode Island Department of Education, based on her commitment to adult education, the teaching profession and her impact on student outcomes.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in education?

Teaching chose me. I have ventured into other fields but always wind up teaching. The classroom is where I feel valuable, and valued.

A wonderful experience with my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Findlay, inspired me to pursue teaching. She was strict but passionate. She found ways to teach me concepts that no other teacher could. I saw and felt that she cared for her students.

What, in your opinion, constitutes a good teacher?

A good teacher has multifaceted skills, is highly motivated and determined, and genuinely wants the best for her students; she is creative and passionate about making a difference in the lives of each student. Beyond having a wide cadre of knowledge, a good teacher knows where to source information; a good teacher listens and communicates; she entertains and has a good sense of humor.

Are there any challenges unique to teaching adults?

Yes. As all of us in adult education know, working in an adult center means being flexible and empathetic to needs and challenges that are different from those faced by educators of children and young adults. For example, losing a student to employment or because of a childbirth is bittersweet. My pet peeve is a change in a student's work schedule that causes the student to have to drop the class – seeing a student's potential, knowing you can harness it and help that student realize it, believing with all your heart and soul that if they continue, they will succeed – and then watching them get cut off from that.

What is most rewarding about your job at Genesis Center?

Being a learning facilitator by day and a coordinator in the evening gives me the unique opportunity to interact with most of the students at Genesis Center. •

Providence, RI - Genesis Center announced today that it has received a $49,000 strategy grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to support programming that prepares low-income Rhode Islanders for success in the workforce.

"This generous grant will expand education and training services that provide a 'bridge' to help unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders overcome the skills gap. Participants in our adult education and job training programs will now have access to a program designed to help them progress toward their goal of finding a better job in a career pathway,” said Shannon Carroll, president and CEO.

"Our Bridge class provides resources and guidance to adults who are working to achieve economic independence. This grant helps us to broaden the services available to learners and allows Genesis Center to be the place ‘where the will to achieve meets the skill to succeed,’" she said.

The 3-part strategy project will expand the center's existing basic education program, which is a hybrid in-person and online system for adults working to improve their education.

Participants will have access to a qualified instructor as well as online learning tools and industry-recognized certificates. It will also expand contextualized basic education opportunities for participants in the center’s job training programs to build critical thinking skills and develop the math and literacy necessary for success in employment and continued education. The initiative includes goals for sharing the center’s learning with other adult education and workforce development service providers.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2015, the Foundation awarded $41.5 million in grants to organizations addressing the state's most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities.

"Every grant we make underscores our commitment to moving Rhode Island forward. We work closely with our donors and grantees to ensure there are the resources and the resourcefulness to achieve great impact," said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation's president and CEO.

Genesis Center, founded 34 years ago in Providence's West End, is a multi-service organization offering high-quality adult education, job training, support services and early learning for low-income Rhode Islanders who want to make a better life for themselves and their families. Today, it serves more than 800 adults and children every year from more than 35 countries. For more information, visit www.gencenter.org.

Sheryl Buchanan, one of our outstanding learning facilitators, has received this exciting honor from the Rhode Island Department of Education.

We are pleased to announce that Sheryl Buchanan, Adult Learning Facilitator and Evening Coordinator at Genesis Center, has been named the 2016 Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year! She was selected for this award based on her demonstrated contributions to adult education, the teaching profession, and her impact on student outcomes.

Sheryl will be recognized at the RIDE Celebration of Educator Excellence Water Fire on Saturday, September 24th from 4:30 to 9:30 pm, in downtown Providence. All are welcome to attend the celebration to support our Rhode Island educators.

We hope you will be able to attend this family-oriented event which will include an awards ceremony to recognize educators of the year and a procession featuring the honored educators, culminating with a “Ring of Fire” at the basin in downtown Providence.

We are so proud of our Genesis staff members, and it is an honor for Sheryl and the Center to receive this recognition. Thank you to the Rhode Island Department of Education for supporting education and educators in RI, and ... CONGRATULATIONS, Sheryl!

Grants to Genesis Center are part of United Way’s $3.1 million investment in programs that focus on housing stability, lifelong learning for children and adults, and helping families meet their basic needs

Providence, R.I. (May 4, 2016): Genesis Center has been awarded two grants by United Way of Rhode Island in the amount of $149,780 to support Adult Education and Early Childhood Education and its work to provide high-quality educational and support services that lead to employment for low-income community residents.

The grant is awarded by United Way for the first year of its new 2016-2019 competitive grant cycle, with a focus on funding efforts that help kids fall in love with learning, help adults reach new career goals, and help families meet their basic needs and achieve economic independence. In total, United Way has awarded $3.1 million in grants among the $12 million it has committed through 2019 to help change the lives of 250,000 Rhode Islanders by 2020, the overarching goal of its new strategic plan, LIVE UNITED 2020.

Through its Integrated Program Platform for adult learners, Genesis Center will be able to expand its adult basic education services that combine financial literacy, job readiness, and computer skills with targeted English and/or literacy instruction to give students the skills to compete in today’s job market. To accomplish this, Genesis will offer classes at partner organizations and augment its online learning capacity.

In its Early Learning Center, Genesis will be implementing several strategies to improve its learning opportunities for low-income, mainly immigrant children, including holistic supports with a strong focus on helping families address barriers to success. Program enhancements will also promote the two-generation learning model, so both parents and children understand that education is a key driver to goal attainment.

“We are excited that UWRI chose to fund both our adult education and early childhood education programs. Genesis Center has a unique arrangement that allows us to engage families around a common goal that emphasizes education as a vehicle for family success and promotes a two-generation learning model,” says Shannon Carroll, president and chief executive officer of Genesis Center.

Genesis Center submitted its funding applications in response to United Way’s request for proposals last fall. The submission was one of 224 proposals received by United Way. Funding proposals were put through a vigorous review process by a diverse group of 75 United Way community volunteers, who spent nearly six months reviewing proposals before delivering their funding recommendations to the United Way Community Investment Advisory Committee for approval. Volunteers received more than ten hours of training to become reviewers, and were tasked with taking a total of $16.5 million in funding requests to allocate the $3.1 million made available by United Way.

“While our goal of changing 250,000 lives by 2020 is ambitious, the innovative ideas of the funding proposals we received really captured the forward thinking we need to make the vision a reality,” said Anthony Maione, President and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island. “We know that when families have access to stable housing, children receive the opportunities they need to succeed in the classroom, and adults get the support they need to advance in the workforce, there’s no limit to how strong our communities can become—and that helps everyone.”

-MORE-

About Genesis Center

Genesis Center, founded thirty-three years ago in Providence’s West End, is a multi-service organization offering high-quality adult education, job training, and childcare services for low-income community members, immigrants, and refugees who want to make a better life for themselves and their families. Today, it serves more than 800 adults and children every year from over 35 countries. The mission of Genesis is “to provide the highest quality education, job training and support services to people of diverse cultures so that they may achieve economic independence and participate fully in society.

About United Way of Rhode Island

United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) has been working to improve the quality of life in Rhode Island for nearly 90 years. Together with its partners, UWRI is changing lives and strengthening our communities by investing in proven programs that work over the short-term, and are scalable over the long-term. For more information, visit www.LIVEUNITEDri.org.